Standardized control sections for machine control systems

ABSTRACT

A set of standardized control sections interconnectable to form controls for machines having motion producing components operable in a predetermined sequence in the presence of predetermined interlock conditions to perform work functions. The set of standardized control sections includes a standard master section which determines the mode of operation and initiates each machine cycle and a plurality of standard unit sections, each standard unit section controlling a corresponding motion producing component and generating feedback signals for indicating the successful completion of a work function by the corresponding component; the standard master section initiates a new machine cycle when the feedback signals indicate that the components have successfully completed their work functions. Each standard unit section has associated with it means for determining the position of its corresponding component and the progress of the machine cycle and for generating interlock signals indicative of that position and progress to control the generation of the feedback signals and the operation of the motion producing components so that the components operate in the predetermined sequence and only in the presence of the predetermined interlock conditions; each standard unit section further includes auxiliary circuitry for connecting interlock signals to various standard unit sections. The set of standardized control sections additionally includes specialized standard sections for controlling or monitoring special machine components or functions. This set of standardized control sections is adaptable to be assembled into particularly reliable and compact machine controls that are extremely flexible to control large numbers of machines with little or no engineering design and easily maintained and easily altered if the motion producing components in the machine or the sequence of operations are changed.

United States Patent [1 1 Rose 1 3,758,835 1451 Sept. 11,1973

[75] lnventor: Robert Frederick Rose, Rockford,

lll. 1

[73] Assignee: Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc.,

Rockford, 111.

221 Filed: Nov. 1,1971 21] A l. No.': 194,708

3,634,662 11/1972 Slawson 318/568 3,317,894 5/1967 Jensen 318/569 X 3,564,957 2/1971 Markgraf 318/162 X 3,504,245 3/1970 Cotton et al 318/569 3,321,744 5/1967 Jensen 318/569 X Primary Examiner-B. Dobeck Attorney-C. Frederick Leydig et al.

57] J ABSTRACT A set of standardized control sections interconnectable 'to form controls for machines having motion producing components operable in a predetermined sequence in the presence of predetermined interlock conditions to perform work functions. The set of standardized control sections includes a standard master section which determines the mode of operation and initiates each machine cycle and a plurality of standard unit sections,

each'standard unit section controlling a corresponding motion producing componentand generating feedback signals for indicating-the successful completion of a work function by the corresponding component; the standard master section initiates a new machine cycle when the feedback signals indicate that the components have successfully completed their work functions. Each standard unit section has associated with it means for determining the position of its corresponding component and the progress of the machine cycle and for generating interlock signals indicative of that position and progress to control the generation of the feedback signals and the operation of the motion producing components so that the components operate in the predetermined sequence and only in the presence of the predetermined interlock conditions; each standard unit section further includes auxiliary circuitry for connecting interlock signals to various standard unit sections. The set of standardized control sections additionally includes specialized standard sections for controlling or monitoring special machine components or functions. This set of standardized control sections is adaptable to be assembled into particularly reliable and compact machine controls that are extremely flexible to control large numbers of machines with little'or no engineering design and easily maintained and easily altered if the motion producing components in the machine or the sequence of operations are changed.

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1. A set of interconnectable standardized control sections for assembling controls for machines having motion producing components operable each machine cycle in repetitive advance and return cycles to perform work functions in a predetermined sequence in accordance with predetermined interlock conditions comprising, in combination, a plurality of standard unit sections and a standard master section, each of said sections including a card with a multiplicity of circuit elements mounted on said card and a printed circuit interconnecting said elements to form circuits; the circuit elements of each unit section, when interconnected in a control, comprising circuit means for generating control signals for controlling a corresponding component, circuit means actuated by selected interlock signals to control the generation of said control signals, and circuit means for generating feedback signals representing successful completion of machine functions by a set of said components including the component corresponding to the respective unit section; and said master section circuit elements, when interconnected in a control, comprising means for generating a cycle start signal in response to feedback signals representing successful completion of a full cycle of work functions by said components, said cycle start signal being effective to activate each unit section to generate control signals to automatically initiate a new cycle of operation by said components.
 2. The combination comprising a set of standardized control sections as defined in claim 1 interconnected in a control for machines having motion producing components operable each machine cycle to perform work functions in a predetermined sequence in accordance with predetermined interlock conditions.
 3. A set of interconnectable standardized control sections as in claim 1 wherein said control signal circuit means of each unit section comprises a circuit means for generating a signal indicative of the progress of the advance and return cycle of said corresponding component; means operative in response to said cycle start signal and to said cycle progress signal indicating that said corresponding component is in its returned position to generate under the control of said interlock circuit means a control signal to advance said corresponding component; and means operative in response to said cycLe progress signal indicating that said corresponding component has advanced to generate under the control of said interlock circuit means a control signal to return said corresponding component to complete its advance and return cycle.
 4. A set of interconnectable standardized control sections as defined in claim 3 wherein said cycle progress circuit means includes a two-stage logic device which is set to a first state when said corresponding component has advanced during its advance and return cycle and is reset to a second state when said corresponding component has returned to complete its advance and return cycle in order to generate said cycle progress signal.
 5. A set of interconnectable standardized control sections as defined in claim 3 wherein said interlock circuit means comprises an advance interlock means operable in response to selected interlock signals for controlling the generation by said advance control signals means of a control signal to advance said corresponding component only in the presence of predetermined interlock conditions; and a return interlock means operable in response to selected interlock signals for controlling the generation by said return control signal means of a control signal to return said corresponding component only in the presence of predetermined interlock conditions.
 6. A set of interconnectable standardized control sections as defined in claim 1 wherein said circuit elements of each unit section further comprises electrically isolated, auxiliary circuitry means interconnectable with said circuit elements of said standard unit sections to provide selected interlock signals to said interlock circuit means.
 7. A set of interconnectable standardized control sections as defined in claim 1 wherein said feedback signal circuit means is interconnectable with the feedback signal circuit means of other standard unit sections to form a feedback loop, each feedback means being operative to generate feedback signals in response to other feedback signals indicating that the corresponding components of the prior unit sections in said feedback loop having successfully completed their work functions and in response to interlock signals indicating that said respective unit section''s corresponding component has successfully completed its work function, said master section generating the cycle start signal in response to the feedback signals in said feedback loop indicating successful completion of a full cycle of operation by said components.
 8. A set of standardized control sections interconnectable to form controls for a variety of machine types having motion producing components cyclically operable to perform work functions in a predetermined sequence and in accordance with predetermined interlock conditions comprising, in combination, a plurality of standard unit sections and a standard master section; each standard unit section, when interconnected in a control, having a unit logic circuit to control the operation of a corresponding motion producing component and electrically isolated, auxiliary logic circuitry interconnectable with the unit logic circuits of said unit sections to coordinate the operation of said components in accordance with said predetermined interlock conditions in response to selected interlock signal; and said standard master section, when interconnected in a control, having a master logic circuit interconnectable with said unit logic circuits to initiate automatically a new cycle of operation of said components upon the successful completion of a full cycle of operation of said components.
 9. A set of standardized control sections interconnectable to form controls for machine systems having motion producing components operable to perform a cycle of work functions according to a predetermined sequence and predetermined interlock conditions comprising, in combination, a standard master section and a plurality of standard unit sections; said standard master section, When interconnected in a control, having selectively operable circuit means for generating signals determinative of either an automatic or manual mode of operation of the control and cycle start signals for automatically initiating full repetitive cycles of work functions by said components in the automatic mode upon successful completion of a full cycle of work functions by said components; and each standard unit section, when interconnected in a control, having independent circuit means sharing certain of the circuit elements and operable in response to both said operating mode and cycle start signals to generate control signals for controlling a corresponding motion producing component, and interlock means actuated by selected interlock signals to control the generation of said control signals to insure that said components are operable to perform their work functions according to the predetermined sequence and the predetermined interlock conditions.
 10. The combination comprising a set of standardized control sections as defined in claim 9 interconnected in a control for machine systems having motion producing components operable each machine cycle to perform work functions according to a predetermined sequence and predetermined interlock conditions.
 11. A set of standardized control sections interconnectable to form controls for machines having motion producing components operable to perform a cycle of work functions in a predetermined sequence in accordance with predetermined interlock conditions on workpieces carried by an indexable workpiece support comprising, in combination, a plurality of standard unit sections, a standard index section, and a standard master section; each standard unit section, when interconnected in a control, having circuit means to generate control signals for directing the performance of a work function by a corresponding motion producing component, circuit means operable in response to selected interlock signals to control the generation of said control signals, and feedback circuit means interconnectable with feedback circuit means of other unit sections to form a feedback loop and operable to generate feedback signals representing successful completion of work functions by a set of said components including the component corresponding to the respective unit section; said standard index section, when interconnected in a control, having means to generate a control signal for directing the indexing of said workpiece support and feedback means interconnectable in said feedback loop to generate feedback signals representing the successful completion of a machine cycle by the successful indexing of said workpiece support and by the successful performance of work functions by said components; and said standard master section, when interconnected in a control, being operable in response to feedback signals indicating the successful completion of a machine cycle to generate a cycle start signal to initiate a new cycle of operations by said workpiece support and said components.
 12. A set of standardized control sections interconnectable to form controls for machines having motion producing components cyclically operable to perform work functions in a predetermined sequence in accordance with predetermined interlock conditions and means for providing interlock signals indicative of the positions of said components comprising, in combination, a plurality of standard unit sections and a standard master section, each of said sections including a plurality of NAND logic gate elements mounted on a card having a printed circuit operatively interconnecting said elements to provide standard circuits; the NAND logic gate elements of each unit section, when interconnected in a control, providing standard circuit means operable to generate control signals for controlling a corresponding component and standard interlock circuit means actuated by selected interlock signals for controlling the generation of said control siGnals; the NAND logic gate elements of each unit section further providing standard feedback circuit means interconnectable with feedback circuit means of other unit sections to form a feedback loop for generating feedback signals indicative of the successful completion of work functions by said components; and the NAND logic gate elements of said master section, when interconnected in a control, providing standard circuit means for generating a cycle start signal in response to the feedback signals indicating a successful completion of a full cycle of operation by said components, said control circuit means of each unit section being operable in response to said cycle start signal to initiate a new cycle of operation of said components.
 13. A set of standardized control sections as defined in claim 12 wherein each standard unit section further comprises electrically isolated, auxiliary NAND logic gate elements interconnectable between the interlock circuit means of said unit section and selected interlock signal means of said machines to provide selected interlock signals to said interlock circuit means.
 14. In an automatic control for machines having motion producing components operable to complete a cycle of advance and return motions for performing machine functions in a predetermined sequence in the presence of predetermined interlock conditions on workpieces carried by a movable workpiece support, the combination comprising a plurality of standard unit sections, each standard unit section having circuit means to generate control signals for directing the performance of an advance and a return motion by a corresponding component, interlock means actuated by selected interlock signals to control the generation of said control signals, and feedback means interconnected with the feedback means of other unit sections to form a feedback loop and operable to generate a set of feedback signals in response to the successful completion of an advance and a return motion by said corresponding component and to a set of feedback signals indicating that the corresponding components of the previous unit sections in said feedback loop have successfully completed their advance and return motions; a standard index section having circuit means to generate a control signal for directing the indexing of said workpiece support and feedback means interconnected in said feedback loop to generate a set of feedback signals in response to the successful indexing of said workpiece support and to a set of feedback signals indicating that the corresponding components of the previous unit sections in said feedback loop have successfully completed their advance and return motions; and a standard master section operable to generate a cycle start signal in response to a set of feedback signals indicating that the motion producing components and the workpiece support have successfully completed their cycles of operation, said cycle start signal being effective to activate said standard index section and said standard unit sections to initiate a new cycle of operations.
 15. In an automatic control as defined in claim 14, the combination further comprising means to transmit said cycle start signal to said index section and to said unit sections including means to delay the transmission of said cycle start signal to said unit sections until the successful indexing of said workpiece support so that said unit sections are able to generate said control signals only after said workpiece support is at rest and said workpieces are at their work stations.
 16. In a control for machines having motion producing components cyclically operable to perform work functions in a predetermined sequence in accordance with predetermined interlock conditions and means for providing interlock signals indicative of the positions of said components, the combination comprising a plurality of standard unit sections and a standard master section, each of said sections including a plurality of NAND logic gate elements mounted on a card having a printed circuit operatively interconnecting said elements to provide standard circuits; the NAND logic gate elements of each unit section providing standard circuit means operable to generate control signals for controlling a corresponding component and standard interlock circuit means actuated by selected interlock signals for controlling the generation of said control signals; said NAND logic gate elements of each unit section further providing standard feedback circuit means interconnected with feedback circuit means of other unit sections to form a feedback loop and operable to generate feedback signals in response to interlock signals indicative of the successful completion of a work function by said corresponding component and to feedback signals indicative of the successful completion of work functions by the corresponding components of the prior unit sections in said feedback loop; and the NAND logic gate elements of said standard master section providing standard circuit means for generating a cycle start signal in response to feedback signals indicating a successful completion of a full cycle of operation by said components, said control circuit means of each unit section being responsive to said cycle start signal to initiate a new cycle of operation of said components.
 17. In a control as defined in claim 16, each standard unit section further comprising electrically isolated, auxiliary NAND logic gate elements interconnectable between the interlock circuit means of said unit section and selected interlock signals means of said machines to provide selected interlock signals to said interlock circuit means.
 18. A set of interconnectable standarized control sections for assembling controls for machines having motion producing components operable each machine cycle in repetitive advance and return cycles to perform work functions in a predetermined sequence in accordance with predetermined interlock conditions comprising, in combination: a plurality of standard unit sections and a standard master section, each of said unit sections including a card with a multiplicity of circuit elements mounted on said card and a printed circuit interconnecting said elements to form a primary logic circuit and auxiliary logic circuitry electrically isolated from said primary logic circuit; the primary logic circuit elements of said unit section comprising a circuit means for generating control signals for controlling a corresponding motion producing component, and the auxiliary logic circuitry comprising circuit means actuated by selected interlock signals to control the generation of said control signals to coordinate the operation of said components to perform work functions in said predetermined sequence in the presence of predetermined interlock conditions and the primary logic circuit elements of each unit section further comprising circuit means for generating feedback signals representing successful completion of machine functions by a set of set components including the component corresponding to the respective unit sections; and said standard master section including a card with a multiplicity of circuit elements mounted thereon and a printed circuit interconnecting said elements to form a master logic circuit interconnected with said unit primary logic circuit elements for generating a cycle start signal in response to said feedback signals representing successful completion of a full cycle of work functions by said components, said cycle start signal being effective to activate each unit section to generate control signals to automatically initiate a new cycle of operation by said components.
 19. In a control for a machine having a plurality of motion producing components operable to perform work functions, the combination comprising a plurality of standard unit cards comprising: a printed circuit card including a printed primary circuit with terminals foR input and output signals and a printed auxiliary circuit with terminals for input and output signals; said primary circuit including a set of logic gate elements to combine input feedback signals indicative of the progress of performance of work functions by a set of set components and interlock signals indicative of the progress of performance of a work function by said corresponding components and to produce output feedback signals and a set of logic gate elements and amplifying means to combine interlock signals and input directive signals and to produce output control signals for controlling the performance of a work function by said corresponding component, said auxiliary circuit including a plurality of electrically isolated logic gate elements adapted for interconnection in said primary circuit of said standard unit card and in said primary circuits of said other standard unit cards to increase the flexability and control capabilities of said control; and a standard master card comprising a printed circuit card including a printed automanual circuit including a set of logic gate elements to generate an automanual directive signal operable to establish automatic or manual operation by said control; and a printed cycle start circuit having input and output terminals and including a set of logic gate elements operable in response to a set of input feedback signals indicating that said components have successfully completed their work functions and to said automanual signal indicating automatic operation by said control to generate a cycle start directive signal operable to initiate an automatic cycle of work functions by said components; the feedback output terminals of certain of said unit cards being connected to the feedback input terminals of other unit cards and the feedback output terminals of one unit card being connected to the feedback input terminals of the master card to form a feedback loop for providing said set of input feedback signals to said master card for generating said cycle start signal upon successful completion of a cycle of work functions by said components.
 20. In a control for a machine having a plurality of motion producing components operable to perform work functions, the combination comprising a plurality of standard unit cards comprising: a printed circuit card including a printed primary circuit with terminals for input and output signals and a printed auxiliary circuit with terminals for input and output signals; said primary circuit including a set of logic gate elements to combine input feedback signals indicative of the progress of performance of work functions by a set of set components and interlock signals indicative of the progress of performance of a work function by said corresponding components and to produce output feedback signals and a set of logic gate elements and amplifying means to combine interlock signals and input directive signals and to produce output control signals for controlling the performance of a work function by said corresponding component, said auxiliary circuit including a plurality of electrically isolated logic gate elements adapted for interconnection in said primary circuit of said standard unit card and in said primary circuits of said other standard unit cards to increase the flexibility and control capabilities of said control, and a standard master card comprising a printed circuit card including a printed automanual circuit including a set of logic gate elements to generate an automanual directive signal operable to establish automatic or manual operation by said control; and a printed cycle start circuit having input and output terminals and including a set of logic gate elements operable in response to a set of input feedback signals indicating that said components have successfully completed their work functions and to said automanual signal indicating automatic operation by said control to generate a cycle start directive signal operable to inItiate an automatic cycle of work functions by said components; each of said unit cards being connected to operate a corresponding component by connections from said control signal output terminals to said corresponding component and to receive input signals at interlock signal input terminals from said corresponding component. 